Automatic feeding device for flat-work ironers



June 17, 1930. A. MATTHEWS AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WOR KIRONERS 4 Sheets- Sheet 1 Originali e g- 27', 1925 June '17, 1930. A.MATTHEWS AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WORK IRONERS Original FiledAug. 27, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VENTOR y A TTOR NE Y5 June 17, 1930.MATTHEWS 1,765,018

AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WORK IRONERS Original Filed Aug 27,1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 O E M g 6; 6% I 77 [N VEN TOR By W Maxi-M ATTORNEYJ" June 17, 1930. A MATTHEWS 1,765,013

AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WORK IRONERS Original Filed Aug. 27,1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 17, 1930 STATES PATENT; oFFi ALBERTMATTHEWS, or CINCINNATI, onro, AssIeNon To THE AMERICAN LAUNDRYMACHINERY COMPANY, or cINeINNATI, OHIO, A eonronATIoN on OHIOAUTOMATIC,FEEDING DEVICE FOR' FLAT-VIORK IRONEIRS Application filedAugust 27, 1925, Serial No. 52,823. Renewed February 18. 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in feeding devices for use inconnection with flat work ironers and is adapted to auto-- maticallyfeed sheets, towels, pillowcases i and other flat work into an ironingmachine.

The general object of this invention is to provide such a device whichis wholly automatic in its several operations and requires the attentionof the operator only for the purpose of replenishing the trays of workas they are emptied by the feeding operation of the machine, v

One particular object of this invention is to provide means for feedingarticles of flat work one by one into the ironing machine, such feedingmeans being automatically cut out or interrupted intermittently so as toprovide proper spacing between the succes sive articles.

Another object is to provide means for feeding a series of articlessimultaneously into an ironing machine, such feeding means beingautomatically cut out or interrupted intermittently in such a manner asto ensure complete passage of all of the articles composing one seriesinto the'ironing machine before the feeding means is again set intooperation for starting the next series.

Another object consists in providing means for feeding articles from apile of flat work and at the same time maintaining proper uniform levelfor the top of the work, so as to ensure proper feeding of the Vtop-most piece of work into the ironing machine, the means formaintaining uniform level of the work being under the control of thevarying height of the pile ofwork.

Another object consists in providing means for facilitating removal ofthe successive articles from the pile of work so as to prevent draggingof the same, such means being automatically controlled by the positionof each article or piece of work as it is being moved into the ironingmachine.

Another object consists in providing means whereby the table upon whichthe work is supported can be lowered after all of the work has been fedtherefrom, thereby.

permitting replenishment of the work for further feeding operation.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims whenconsidered together with the accompanying drawing. i Fig. 1 isa frontelevation of my improved device; Fig 2 is a longitudinal sec tion takenon line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view taken on line 3-3of Fig. 1; Fig. i is an enlarged detail view taken on theline 44 of Fig.1; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the means for loading the supportingtable;Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail viewtaken on line 6'6, Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is adetail view of the electric switch control for automatically throwingout the feed ing means; Fig. Sis a detail view of the track along whichthe feeding device is guided into feeding movement; Fig. 9 is a viewtaken on line 99, Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a detail view of apart of the meansfor maintaining the proper levelof the work,

this detailed portion being adapted to enis so located with relation toan ironing machine that articles of flat work are fed into the machineas illustrated in F igQ 2. The ironing machine is illustrated only in ageneral way and will be recognized. as comprising the padded roll 3 andthe heatedchest t with the ribbon feed 5 which is operated by the feedroll 6, this roll being driven in the usual and well known manner. Thesprocket chain is driven from the shaft of the feed roll 6 and by meansof this connection driving power is transmitted to the shaftS whichcarries the sprocket 9 about which engages the sprocket chain 7. Theshaft 8 carries also the roll 9 about which extends the belt 10 forcarrying the work onto the ribbon feed 5.

The articles of fiat work are arranged in a pile, as indicated byreference numeral 11, such pile of work being supported upon a tray 12,such tray being adapted to be replaced by another full tray of workafter the first tray has been emptied by the feeding operation of themachine. The tray 12 is supported on rollers 13 which are adapted torest upon the tracks 14 carried by the transversely extending rails 15which afford a support therefor. The rails '15 are suspended by means ofthe sprocket chains 16 extending up over the sprocket wheels 17 whichare suitably mounted in bracket arms in the frame of the machinestructure.

Counterweights, as illustrated for instancev at 18, are also provlded onthe other ends mounted upon the transverse shafts 19' which are adaptedto be operated by means of the gears 20 carried thereby, these gearsbeing driven bymeans of the worm gears 21 which in turn are mounted uponthe transverse shaft 22 suitably supported in the frame structure. Theshaft 22 is operated intermittently according to the height of the pileof work upon the tray, the manner of such operation andthe means forperforming the same being more fully explainedhereinafter.

A clutch connection is provided. upon the shaft 8 whereby the feedingmechanism is interrupted in its operation during the passage of eachsuccessive piece of work onto the feeding belt 10. This, automaticcontrol mechanism comprises the loosely mount ed clutch member 23 whichis adapted to be engaged by the splined companion clutch member 24;which f is automatically thrown into engagement with the clutchmember'23 by means of a spring. he clutch member 24- may however bedisengaged from its con panion clutch member 28 by means of a solenoid25. and the bell cank lever26 which operates the yoke clutch member 27,these parts being so arranged that upon energization of the solenoid theclutch member 24 is withdrawn from engagement with the clutch member 23and is maintained in such disengaged position until de-energization ofthe 'solenold 25, whereupon the clutch member 24 is returned toengagedor closed position under the influence of the spring justreferred to.The solenoid 25, as shown by electrical diagram 12, is included in anelectric circuit with contacts 28, the circuit through these contactsbeing closed by means of the circuit-closing contact which is rockablymounted at the point 30 and is adapted to be operated by engagement ofthe fiat work with the arm 31 which carries the contact member 29. Thatis, passage of the work over the 31 will depress the same so as to causeengagement the contact member 29 with the companion contacts 28 so asto'close the circuit and maintain the same in closed position until thepiece of work has completely passed this point. This operation is madepossible by the; co-action of the roller 32 which are carried upon theshaft 38 andnre adapted to engage the work upon the main roller andhence upon the arm 31. The shaft 33 is suitably mounted in the frame ofthe machine structure.

The clutch member 23 which is freely mounted in the bracket 23" isprovided'on its outer face with a roller 34: which is adapted forengagement in an open slot 35 formed in the rock arm36 depending fromthe rock shaft Thus it will be seen that rotation of the clutch member23 will cause rocking movement of the rock arm'36 and hence of the shaft38. Also fixedly mounted upon the rock shaft ilthere are provided.

as indicated at Fig. 1. The upper ends of the rock arms 37 have pivotalconnection with the links 38 which are connected at their other ends tothe carriages 39 slidably mounted for movement along the parallel,transversely disposed rods 10. These rods have their ends mounted inthe'brackets 41 and 42 on the'frame structure. The carriages 39 supportthe depending foot portions 43 which are provided at their lower endswith the earning cloth er for the purpose of engaging and picking up thetopmost piece of work for movement into position between tne rollers forintroduction into the ironing machine. Each of the de pending footportions 43 is'inounted upon the carriage bracket 39 by means of theupwardly extending rod 4-5 which has slidable engagement up and downthrough the bracket39. This same foot portion 4-3 15 provided also witha roller dowhich 1S adapted for opening of the substantially V-shapedslot 49 provided in the bracket 50, which bracket is suitably supportedin the frame structure of .themachine. As soon as the roller -16 entersthe open end of the slot 49, it is free to descend therein by gravityand as the rocking movement of the shaft 33 continues, the roller e26will follow the substantially if-shaped path of the slot 49 to thebottom thereof and will pass up and out of the slot, engaging theunderside of the latch 48 and raising the same so as to return to theposition indicated in Fig. 8. As soon as the roller 46 has passed thelatch 48, the latch returns to its closed or horizontal position underthe influence of spring 51 which is connected at one end to the latchwhile its other end is anchored to the bracket 50. Thus the latch 48 isso constructed and arranged as to permit the roller to pass thereover aspart of the track and at the same time permits also the exit-of theroller e6 from the slot so as to return to its former initial position.

The path of movement described by the roller 46 during its travel alongthe slot d9 corresponds to the movement which is necessary for thecarding cloth 4.4 to be lowered into engagement with the top-most pieceof work and to then be advanced to the left, as Viewed in Fig. 2,andraised suhiciently for'introduction between the roller 82 and theapron 10 for introduction to the ironing machine. According to thepresent illustration, there are provided three such carriers and footportions with the corresponding; number of rollers and V-shaped tracks,although it'is of course understood that this number may be varied.

Fixedly mounted also upon the shaft 83 there is providedanother rock'arm52 which carries at its upper end a pin 53 for engagement in the slot54lof the link 55. This link 55, which is of the form illustrated inFig. 2, has its other end pivotally connected to the rock arm 56 whichis loosely mounted upon the shaft 22. To the lower end portion of therock arm 56 there is fixed the clutch member 57 which is adapted; forclutching engagement with the companion clutch member 58 splined uponthe shaft 22. A spring 59 is provided between the other face oftheclutch member 58 and the frame structure so as to tend to maintain theseclutch members in clutching engagement. There is provided alsoon theclutch member 57 a detent 60 in the form of a tooth which is adapted forengagement by the end portion 61 of the rock arm 62 which is carried onthe rock shaft 63 suitably mounted in the bracket structure 64. Alsomounted upon, the rock shaft 63 and extending from the opposite sidethereof is the arm 65 which is provided with a pin 66 for engagement inthe slot .67 at the upper end of the vertically extending rod 68.. Thisrod is adapted for vertical sliding movementinthe bracket 69 andcarriesthe roller 70 at the lower end thereof. The collar 71 isslidably. mounted upon the rod'68 and has swivel connection with'the oneend of the bell crank lever .72, this lever being mounted at the point78 in the" depending supporting bracket of the frame structure andhaving its other end pivotally connected to the connecting rod 74. Thisconnecting rod is connected at its other end to the rock arm37 foroperation thereby. The collar 75 is fixed upon the rod 68 anda. spring76 surrounding the rod 68 is arranged between the collar 75 and thebracket 69. In the position shown in Fig. 2, the spring 76 is compressedmore or less between the bracket 69 and the collar 75 which is forcedupwardly by the slidable collar '71.

Operation of the feed roll 6 will cause operation of the shaft 8 whichin turn will cause rocking movement of the rock'arm 36 by virture of thepin and slot engagement already described. Thus the shaft 33 is given arocking movement and likewise the upwardly extending rock arms 37 and52. The rocking movement of the arm. 37 through the link connection 38,in each case, will cause movement of the carriage 39 along its tracksand will by means of the mechanism already described, including theroller 46 and the slot l9, efi'ect the engagement of the carding cloth 4with the top-most pieceof work and raise the same from the pile and moveit to the left for introduction into the ironing machine between theroller 82 and the web 10. At the same time the movement of the rock arm37 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, will permit downward movement ofroller 70 by releasing the same to the action of gravity and also of thespring 7 6 which has been held under certain compression by engagementof collar 7 to irevent rod 68 from stickin The en 'a et) O U ment ofcollar 71 with the roller mounting will also ensure the rod 68 againststicking. The roller will descend to a distance according to the heightof the pile of work, or in other words, according to the degree to whichthe work has been removed from the top of the pile. In case the Work hasbeen removed to a depth which requires raising of the table so as toraise the topmost piece of workfor proper engagement by the cardingcloth feet 44, then such lowering movement of the roller 70 and the rod68 will cause the upper end of the slot 67-to engage the pin 66 so as torock the arm 62 on the shaft 63 andrelease engagement of the end portion61 with the detent 60. As

soon as such detent engagement is released. the member 57 is placedunder the influence of spring 77 which has its'upperend connected to abracket arm 78 extending from such clutch member while its lower end isanchored in the frame of the machine structure, as more clearlyillustrated in Fig. 3. This action of the spring 77 will also causemovement of the rocl: arm 56 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, with theresult that the connecting link 55 is moved down to the left, as viewedin the same figure, so as to bring the upper end of the slot 54: intoaction of the teeth carried thereby will cause longitudinal movement ofthe. clutch member 58 along the shaft 22, upon which it is splined forsuch movement, and will. compress the spring 59.

This operation, however, will continue only to the extent of one toothof the clutch members and when the clutch member 57 has been moved tothis extent it will again be brought into engagement with its companionclutch mem ber because of the action of the spring 59 which will forcethe clutch member 58 into engagement. That is to say, there is effecteda slipping action between the clutch members to the extent of one tooth.During such action, the detent 60 has of course been moved to the left,as viewed in Fig. 2, and the parts are now in such position that uponthe rocking movement of the shaft 38 and hence of the rock arm 52 to theright,

as viewed in Fig. 2, the connecting lever arm 55 and the rock arm 56controlled thereby will be moved to the right so 'as to return the partsto their formal initial position; and such operation will cause rotationof shaft 22 to an extent corresponding to that of the distance betweentwo successive clutch teeth of the clutch members 57 and 58. When theparts are thus moved to their former position, the detent 60 is moved tothe right under and past the end portion 61 so as to be again engagedand held thereby. Such rotation of the shaft 22 is transmitted by meansof worms 21 to the gears 20 on the shaft 19 so as to rotate thesprockets 17 and in this way raise the work table so as to restoreproper elevation of.

the work with respect to the carding cloth feet 44-. 7

As a means of aidin the cardin cloth g e feet Min picking up the piecesof work from the top of the pile, I have. provided the air nozzles 79which are so arranged as to force a blast of air in under the topmostpiece of work so as to raise and maintain the same away from the rest ofthe work supply pipe line for the air to the nozzles 79, is controlledby means of the solenoid83 above explained. In other words, the valve 82is opened and is maintained in open positionso as to permlt the blast ofair to be effectiveupon the top-1nost piece of the work during themovement of the same by the carding cloth foot 44:, while at the sametune the solenoid 25 is also energized for the purpose of maintainingthe main clutch open, during the movement of the piece .of work into theironing machine. In case it may be desired to entirely out out thisautomatic operation of the valve 82, this may be accomplished by meansof a hand switch 84 which is arranged in circuit with the solenoid 83,as shown by the sketch in Fig. 12.

In case the articles of work which are being fed mto the ironing machlneare of comparatively small dimensions, as for in-.

stance, towels and the like, several separate piles may be arranged onthe table or tray and a correspondingnumber of feeding de vices may beprovided for simultaneously feeding the topmost piece of work from eachof the several piles into the ironing machine. In such cases a'corresponding number of sets of air nozzles may be pro.- vided, asindicated in a general way in Fig. 1 of the drawing by reference numeral85. As before explained, these nozzles may be adjusted to the properheight according to the condition of the'work and also according towhether or not they are to be employed. may beemployed in connectionwith these pairs of nozzles as in connection with the other nozzles 79already described. Likewise, the number of sets of contacts28 and 29 isalso increased according to the number of piles of work, a set ofcontacts being provided for each feeding. device and all of them beingarranged in series as shown in Fig. 12, so as to ensure passage of allthe articles of a given set or series into the machine before feedingmeans is again set into operation to start the next set.

In the case of feeding sheets into the fiat work ironer, it has beenfound desirable to fold the same in the manner indicated in Fig. 13 soas to have the edges facing'toward the point of entrance into themachine. The carding cloth foot portions 44% will then pick up and move.the upper half of the sheet onto the feeding belt and the remainingportion of the sheet will followwith a sort of rolling action. :Inthisway, articles he same automatic control means of considerable size maybe arranged upon a table of comparatively reduced dimensions and at thesame time may be fed into the machine without any loss of efliciency.

When the work table has been raised to its upper-most limit during theautomatic raising movement for maintaining proper level of the work, andit is desired to lower the table so as .to replace the empty table ortray with a filled tray of work, I have provided a means, as shown indetail in Fig. 5, whereby the clutch member 58 may be manuallydisengaged from the companion clutch member 57 and the shaft 22 thenrotated so as to transmit such movement to the sprockets 17 and thechains 16. The clutch member 58 is adapted to be moved to the right, asviewed in Fig. 5, by means of yoke arm 86 which engages the same andwhich is pivotally mounted at the point 87 for operation by means of thelever arm 88 connected thereto. This yoke arm 86 may be moved to theright, as viewed in Fig. 5, against the spring 59 so that upon releaseof the clutch disengaging means, as just now referred to, the clutchmember 58 will automatically return to clutching engagement under theinfluence of the spring 59. As a means of maintaining the lever arm 88in position corresponding to unclutching condition, I have provided arecess 89 in the frame of the machine for engagement by the pin 90 onthe latch arm 91 which in turn is pivotally mounted at the point 92 uponthe lever arm 88. The pin 90 extends through the lever arm 88 and isadapted to engage in the recess 89 so as to maintain the same in theunclutched position to which it has been moved. With the clutch membersdisengaged by means of the structure just now referred to, the shaft 22can then be rotated by meansmf the crank 98 which is fixed upon theouter end of shaft 22. Then when the frame has been lowered to thedesired position, the pin 90 is released from the recess 89 by means ofhandle 91, whereupon the clutch member 58 will be returned to clutchingengagement by means of spring 59. The latch member 91 may be providedwith a spring under the handle end thereof, so as to normally tend toforce the pin 90 through the lever arm 88. This detail of mechanism willbe readily understood without further description.

While carding cloth is shown as the material or means for picking up andremovmg the uppermost article of work from the pile, it will beunderstood that other materials, such as tweezers, or other means, suchas suction, might be employed. However, it has been found that cardingcloth is the most satisfactory as it enables the top article to be moreeasily picked up and reilpgved without disturbing the articles there-\Vhat I claim is: 1. In a machine of the class described adaptedtohandle limp fabric articles, means for supporting apile of saidarticles, feeding means, pick-up means including a carding cloth memberarranged for movement in a fixed path and adapted to pick the toparticle from said pile and deliver the same to said feeding means,automatic means for elevating said pile-supporting means, and controlmeans for said pick-up means and said elevating means and associatedwith said feeding means and arranged to interrupt the operations of saidpick-up and of said elevating means during manipulation of an article bysaid feeding means, and to cause said operations to be resumed aftersaid article has cleared said feeding means.

2. In a machine of the class described adapted to handle limp fabricarticles, means for supporting a pile of said articles, feeding means,pick-up means arranged for movement in a fixed path and adapted to pickthe top article from said pile and deliver the same to said feedingmeans, automatic means for elevating said pile-supporting means, andcontrol means for said pick-up means and said elevating means andassociated with said feeding means and arranged to interrupt theoperations of said pick-up and of said elevating means duringmanipulation of an article, by said feeding means, and to cause saidoperations to beresumed after said article has cleared said feedingmeans.

3. In a machine of the class described, means for supporting a fabricarticle, feeding means, carding cloth means, and actuating means forsaid carding cloth means arranged to move the same to engage saidarticle and pickup the same, deliver the article to said feeding means,and release the articles.

4. In a machine of the class described, means for supporting a fabricarticle, feeding means, carding cloth means, and actuating means forsaid carding cloth means arranged to move the same to engage saidarticle, pick up the same, and deliver the article to said feedingmeans, said feeding means being adapted to move the article to releasethe same from said carding cloth.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature.

ALBERT MATTHEWS.

